Seahawks vs Steelers: 5 questions with Still Curtain
By Keith Myers
The Seattle Seahawks take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial game for both teams. Here is the scoop directly from the heart of Steeler Nation.
This week’s game is a rematch from Super Bowl XL. There is no one left from that Seattle team, and the only Steeler left on the roster is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. It has only been 10 years, but everything about these teams has changed.
To help us get reacquainted with Pittsburgh, I brought in Kim Myers (no relation, I think) from Still Curtain to help give us the scoop on everything that is happing with the Steelers.
1. Lets start with Big Ben’s health. It seems he’s been banged up a lot this season. Is there anything right now that might slow him down at all this week, or is he finally back to full speed?
He didn’t have any adverse reactions to playing against Cleveland, which is good. The bye week certainly couldn’t have come at a better time to ensure a full week of rest and healing. I think he’s back at full speed, or as much as he could be for this part of the season. The only worry is with Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle keeping Ben protected. He’s played adequate so far since stepping in for Kelvin Beachum but he’s allowed the most sacks including the hit by Aldon Smith that injured Ben’s foot.
2. Losing a talent like Leveon Bell always hurts, no matter who else is on the roster. How have the Steelers reworked the offense to compensate for not having one of the league’s top backs?
The best thing about the free agent pick up of DeAngelo Williams has been the fact that the offense doesn’t necessarily have to change in Bell’s absence. He proved that in the first two weeks while Bell was suspended and aside from the last game against the Browns the rushing offense hasn’t missed a beat transitioning from Bell to Williams. They’re not the same type of back by any means but Williams has the ability to find the holes and pick up yards after contact which is what any offense needs out of a running back.
3. Defensively, Pittsburgh is giving up the fifth-most passing yards per game in the league. What is missing from the pass defense that is allowing opposing teams to put up so many yards?
The defense has been more committed to the blitz this season than they have in the past few years. As a result they’re giving up a ton of yards but not giving up points and are getting sacks and takeaways. It’s a weird bend-but-don’t-break style of defense but I, for one, am worried that giving up all these yards is eventually going to come back to haunt them. The secondary is still a main concern as the team didn’t really address the needs this offseason.
4. Do the Seahawks have any shot at slowing down Antonio Brown? What can Seattle do to stop him from having another monster game this week?
No team has had an answer for Antonio Brown yet. Seems like the only thing that can stop him is taking Ben Roethlisberger out of the game. The only thing a defense can do is double team him and hope for the best. The potential for an Antonio Brown vs. Richard Sherman matchup is pretty exciting just to see how these two elite guys face off.
5. What is your prediction for the game?
I believe the Steelers can come out and put up a lot of points on the board in Seattle. I’m hoping they can get the running game going and the defense can throw everything they have at Russell Wilson and Thomas Rawls and keep the Seahawks offense one-dimensional. I’ll say Steelers 34 Seahawks 17